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>TL;DR: Detroit was set up to fail. ... The nation's 10th largest city was set up to fail? Did the Illuminati do this, or was it an inside job? http://en.wik

>TL;DR: Detroit was set up to fail. ... The nation's 10th largest city was set up to fail? Did the Illuminati do this, or was it an inside job? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit

jfarmer 13y ago
Detroit was the 10th-largest city in the US in the 2000 census with a population of ~900k, but was the 18th-largest in 2010 with a population of ~700k. It was the 4th largest in the 30s and 40s and reached its peak population of approximately 2MM in the 1950s. Since then it has been losing approximately 200k residents (think: taxpayers) per decade like clockwork. So any story about Detroit has to explain that. There are systemic things at work and there have been for over 60 years, although I agree "set up to fail" has a rather conspiratorial tone to it.
- specialist 13y ago
  I agree "set up to fail" has a rather conspiratorial tone to it. Sure. By default or by design, intent is unknowable and unactionable. I only judge outcomes.
  - jbigelow76 13y ago
    If intent is unknowable then you can't say Detroit was "set up" as that would require divining supposedly unknowable intent. Judging only outcomes means the failure of Detroit is as likely to be the result incidental vs intentional action.
    - anigbrowl 13y ago
      I think he's using the phrase in the sense of 'destined to fail,' which doesn't necessarily imply a belief in an unshakeable destiny, it's just a comment that failure was inevitable/predictable with those policies. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20.
    - specialist 13y ago
      Wow, geeks objecting to belief in cause and effect. My apologies. I was laboring under the impression that it doesn't take great insight to see how defunding and defrauding and disempowering Detroit created the circumstances which led to them declaring bankruptcy. Forgive me for not singling out individuals to blame, though there is plenty to share. Nor playing along when trolls use imagined conspiracy theories to dismiss objective reality.
specialist 13y ago
You mean in addition to the numerous, specific items listed in these two articles? What measure of proof do you require? (You didn't read them, did you? Be honest.) Illuminati? No conspiracy needed. Taxation without representation is sufficiently (self) explanatory.
- JonSkeptic 13y ago
  A progressive and long running iteration of bad decisions != set up to fail.
  - specialist 13y ago
    Disempowering people is pretty sure fire way to fail. From parenting, to leading teams, to organizational change, to governance.
    - jeltz 13y ago
      Yes, but you have to prove that they did this worse than in other US cities.
    - JackFr 13y ago
      You could write bestselling management books with empty platitudes like that: "The (number) (abstract noun) of Disempowered (People/Managers/Teams)" Bam! Bestseller.

jfarmer 13y ago

Detroit was the 10th-largest city in the US in the 2000 census with a population of ~900k, but was the 18th-largest in 2010 with a population of ~700k. It was the 4th largest in the 30s and 40s and reached its peak population of approximately 2MM in the 1950s. Since then it has been losing approximately 200k residents (think: taxpayers) per decade like clockwork. So any story about Detroit has to explain that. There are systemic things at work and there have been for over 60 years, although I agree "set up to fail" has a rather conspiratorial tone to it.

specialist 13y ago
I agree "set up to fail" has a rather conspiratorial tone to it. Sure. By default or by design, intent is unknowable and unactionable. I only judge outcomes.
- jbigelow76 13y ago
  If intent is unknowable then you can't say Detroit was "set up" as that would require divining supposedly unknowable intent. Judging only outcomes means the failure of Detroit is as likely to be the result incidental vs intentional action.
  - anigbrowl 13y ago
    I think he's using the phrase in the sense of 'destined to fail,' which doesn't necessarily imply a belief in an unshakeable destiny, it's just a comment that failure was inevitable/predictable with those policies. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20.
  - specialist 13y ago
    Wow, geeks objecting to belief in cause and effect. My apologies. I was laboring under the impression that it doesn't take great insight to see how defunding and defrauding and disempowering Detroit created the circumstances which led to them declaring bankruptcy. Forgive me for not singling out individuals to blame, though there is plenty to share. Nor playing along when trolls use imagined conspiracy theories to dismiss objective reality.

specialist 13y ago

You mean in addition to the numerous, specific items listed in these two articles? What measure of proof do you require? (You didn't read them, did you? Be honest.) Illuminati? No conspiracy needed. Taxation without representation is sufficiently (self) explanatory.

JonSkeptic 13y ago
A progressive and long running iteration of bad decisions != set up to fail.
- specialist 13y ago
  Disempowering people is pretty sure fire way to fail. From parenting, to leading teams, to organizational change, to governance.
  - jeltz 13y ago
    Yes, but you have to prove that they did this worse than in other US cities.
  - JackFr 13y ago
    You could write bestselling management books with empty platitudes like that: "The (number) (abstract noun) of Disempowered (People/Managers/Teams)" Bam! Bestseller.